FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes Western

Mastiogoteuthidae 799
Mastiogoteuthidae MASTIGOTEUTHIDAE
Mastigoteuthid squids
by M.C. Dunning
Diagnostic characters: Medium-sized to large
squids (500 to 1 000 mm mantle length), with gelatinous
bodies. Funnel locking cartilage oval, with
inward projecting knobs. Generally, posterior knob
and (occasionally) medial knob poorly developed.
Arms with biserial, toothed suckers; ventral arms
(IV) enlarged. Males without hectocotylized arm.
Characterized by long, whip-like tentacles, bearing
many hundreds of minute suckers. Buccal connectives
attached to ventral border of ventral arms.
Fins large. Many species with light organs on surface
of mantle, ventral surfaces of head, ventral arms, and
eyeball. Some species possess minute dermal tubercles
covering the body surface. Colour: body often
pink or brick red coloured.
Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Mastigoteuthids are
deep living, oceanic squids occurring from tropical
waters to the polar regions. Closing net data indicate
that all species live at depths of 500 to 1 000 m during
the day and may ascend to shallower water at night,
even to as shallow as 50 to 100 m. The known predators
of various species of Mastigoteuthis include
Alepisaurus ferox, pilot whales, and sperm whales.
Increased fishing effort using bottom trawls on the
continental slopes of northern Australia in recent years
has captured many mastigoteuthids including large
specimens of Mastigoteuthis cordiformis up to
700 mm mantle length. Of no commercial fisheries
potential because of their gelatinous body consistency
and the ammonia content in the mantle and arms.
Remarks: The taxonomy of this family is in need of
major revision. It is likely that several species occur in
the area, but only adults of M. cordiformis have been
many rows
of suckers
reported.
dorsal view
(Mastigoteuthis cordiformis)
Similar families occurring in the area
(illustration: K.Hollis/ABRS)
Chiroteuthidae: also with enlarged ventral arms, but distinguished by the following characters: funnel
locking cartilage with posterior knob and medial knob well developed; tentacular suckers with long stalks,
tetraserially arranged.
List of species occurring in the area
Mastigoteuthis cordiformis Chun, 1908
References
Lu, C.C. and J.U. Phillips. 1985. An annotated checklist of the Cephalopoda from Australian waters. Occas. Pap. Mus.
Vict., 2:21-36.
Salcedo-Vargas, M.A. and T. Okutani. 1994. New classification of the squid family Mastigoteuthidae. Venus (Jap. J.
Malacology), 53(2):119-127.
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